Adjustable casket bed



Nov. 27, 1962 E. w. DowER 3,065,516

ADJUSTABLE GASKET BED Filed June 22. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l Q R Rz ,q INVENToR. i; A b2/ard Mad/e/g BY ,pdr/er f drrr fyi/www5.

Nov. 27, 1962 E. w. DowER ADJUSTABLE GASKET BED Filed June 22, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UNIE United States atent 3,065,516 Patented Nov. 27, 1962 3,065,516 ADIUSTABLE CASKEI BED Edward W. Dower, Dundee, Ill., assignor to Elgin Metal Casket Co., Inc., Elgin, Ill., a corporation of Iliinois Filed .lune 22, 1959, Ser. No. 822,090 4 Claims. (Cl. 27 12) This invention relates to a device for use in burial caskets and includes a so-called bed upon which the body of the deceased is supported. It has for one object to provide an adjustable bed or adjusting means for a bed so that the bed upon which the body lies may be raised and lowered as a whole or tilted as desired.

Another object is yto provide means for selectively raising, lowering or tilting parts of the bed while other parts remain stationary and substantially fixed in position.

Another object is to provide a bed construction suitable for mounting adjustably.

A still further object is to provide, in connection with a bed formed of relatively movable parts, means for moving the bed as a whole or for moving individual parts relatively.

Other objects will appear from time to time during the course of the specication and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of one form of casket to which the invention is applied with parts broken away and parts in section;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the `casket of FIG. l taken at line '2 2 of FIG. 1 with the lid removed and parts broken away for clarity and parts in section;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken at line 3 3 of FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken at line 4 4 of FIG. 3 showing the guide which is associated with the adjustment means at the foot end of the bed;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional detail taken at line 5 5 of FIG. 2 on the same scale as FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional detail taken at line 6 6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional detail taken at line 7 7 of FIG. 2 on the same scale as FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is an elevation of the structure of FIG. 7 looking in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the structure of FIG. 7.

Like parts are indicated by like numerals throughout the specication and drawings.

The device in the particular form shown is applied to a burial casket which is preferably formed of sheet material of relatively thin section, such as steel or other metal. The adjustable bed of this invention may, however, be applied to caskets of any construction and of any material. The invention is therefore not limited to its application to or combination with a metal casket. The showing and the description of the invention in connection with a metal casket are therefore merely illustrative of -one association in which the adjustable casket bed may be used.

The casket comprises a main section indicated generally in FIG. 1 by the numeral 1 and a top or cover indicated by the numeral 2. The casket, of whatever material it is made, will ordinarily be given some form of ornamental shape but it will include a bottom member 3 and side and end members which need not be particularly identified by numerals. At or near the upper edge of the casket is a flange or supporting portion 4. This is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 in section and partially in plan in FIG. 2. It is broken away in a portion of that figure.

' The bed comprises a foot section formed of side members 5, 5 and a transverse foot member 6. 'Ihese parts are secured together but are not movably joined together,

although they may have suiicient liexibility to permit some relative movement by bending. The head section is formed of side members 7, 7 which are joined by a transverse member 8. The parts 7 and 8 are secured together without movable joints but some flexibility may be provided in them to permit some relative movement by bending 0r twisting. The members defining the head section and the foot section are joined or hinged together as shown in FIG. 2 and in detail in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. Although the members 5, 6, 7 and 8 may be of various shapes, they are shown as formed of angle members having generally vertical side portions and generally horizontal ange porti-ons. To provide a hinged joint between each of the members 5 and the adjacent members 7, the upper flange of the member 7 is cut away as shown in FIG. 2 and the vertical portion of each member 5 is hinged to the vertical portion of the adjacent member 7 by a bolt or pin 9. The hinged joint thus formed may be relatively tight and permit merely hinging or it may, if desired, be somewhat loose to permit not merely hinging or swinging of the parts which it joins together, but it may permit either movement by means of its looseness if desired.

A spring is fastened within the bed formed by the members 5, 6, 7 and 8 and as shown it includes Wire or strap members 10 which are disposed laterally and longitudinally and are joined by ringlike members 11. The spring structure is provided at the head end with separate coil springs 12, each of which is joined at one end to the member and at the other end to the adjacent ring or wirejoining member 11. The invention is not limited to the details of the particular spring structure shown `and may be carried out by the use of other types of springs. Indeed, if desired, the bed can be made up without a spring and a` relatively rigid panlike member could be substi tuted. This would be formed in two sections to permit the hinging movement of the head and foot 4sections of the bed. The spring structure is, however, preferred.

To provide means for raising and lowering the bed and for accomplishing the adjustment above indicated several raising means are provided. The foot end of the bed is provided with a guide member 13 which is rigidly secured to the transverse member -6 of the foot section or portion of the bed. It is Kforked or notched as at 14 to receive, loosely if desired, an adjusting screw 15. The adjusting screw `15, as shown in FIGS. l, 2, 3 and 4, is seated at its lower end, preferably somewhat loosely, in a support 16. The support is provided with lateral extensions 17, 17 which are secured to the bottom 3 of the casket. The upstanding portion of the bearing support is provided with a perforation l which, as shown particularly in FIG. 3, tits loosely about the lower end of the adjusting screw 15, The adjusting screw is provided with stop means at its lower end to limit its movement into the support 16. As shown, the stop means comprise ends 19, 19.

Threaded upon theadjusting screw I15 is a trunnion supporting member 2t) which is provided with a trunnion projection 21 which is received in a bearing member 22, shown particularly in FIG. 3, and fastened to the foot transverse member 6. By this means the foot of the bed is adjustably supported upon the adjusting screw 15.

At its upper end the adjusting screw 15 is received in a bracket 23 which is provided with a portion 24 fixed to the upper ange 4 of the casket. The bracket is also provided with an adjusting screw-receiving portion 25 which is perforated. The adjusting screw 15 passes through the perforation in the bracket member 25 and is held in place by a snap ring 26. At its upper end the adjusting screw is provided with an operating handle 27 which is pivoted as at 28 to the screw and may be moved 3 for operation to the dotted line position of FIG. 3. When not in use it will normally occupy the lower full Vline position of FIG. 3. At its outer or free end the operating handle may have a gripping portion 29.

The adjusting means at the head of the casket include the same type of adjusting screw assembly as that shown and described in connection with the foot end except that the guide 13 is omitted. Since the adjusting screw members at' the head of the casket are thus the same as those at the foot, they will not be redescribed and the same numerals are generally applied. The members which receive the trunnions 2.1 at the head end of the bed are preferably provided for looseness and thus, as shown in FIG. 6r, the perforation both in the vertical portion of the transverse member 8 and in the bearing member 30 is enlarged to provide looseness or a clearance as indicated at 31 in FIG. 6.

The adjusting screws which are pnovided for adjustment at the sides of the bed are `the same as those described above in connection with the foot and head ends. Their manner of connection to the bed differs somewhat. Thus at the sides of thebed there are two adjusting screws which are identical with those previously described. They are supported at their lower ends in members i6, just as are the adjusting screws at the foot and head ends, and the handles 27 are used in each case. Therefore the adjusting screws themselves need not be redescribed'in connection with the mechanism for adjusting the sides of the casket bed.

The adjusting screws at the sides of the casket bed are, however, connected to the bed for lateral twisting, bending and aligning movement of the latter. This is accomplished by the following structure. Each side members is provided adjacent the' hinge formed by the pin 9 with an upwardly extending member 32 which is provided with a relatively large and laterally extended perforation or opening 33. Through this a pin '34 extends. The pin is seated in a support 35 which is threaded and engaged by the adjusting screw 15'. At its opposite end each pin 34 is provided with a `cap nut 36 which holds a spiral spring 37 in place and under the desired degree of compression. Each spring 37 is thus seated at one end against a cap nut and at the other against an upstanding bracket portion 32. The structure of the hinge adjacent the center of the bed and the means of attachment of the adjusting screws at that point result in a exible joint which permits normal hinging or swinging action of the head and foot parts and which permits considerable other movement, such as bending, flexing, twisting and the like because of the looseness of the joint between the pins 34 and the brackets 32. The spring 37, of course, holds the parts suiciently tight to avoid rattling and undue looseness to permit yielding for adjustment when required.

Although an operative form of the device has been shown, the invention is not limited to the particular details shown. Many changes may be made in the form, shape and arrangement of parts without departing fnom the spirit of the invention.

The use and operation of the invention are are follows:

The bed as shown is installed in a casket of any design and any material. The bed includes two sections, a head and a foot section, hinged together for relative swinging. Adjusting means are provided in the shape of ive adjusting screws each carrying a trunnion member supported for rotation in a suitable bearing support carried by the bed adjacent each adjusting screw. The adjusting screws are supported at their lower ends on the bottom of the casket. At their upper ends they are supported in brackets secured toward the top of the casket, preferably being secured upon the ange which defines the upper edge of the casket. handles are provided for rotating the adjusting screws. When not in use the handles are lowered, each toV lie Pivoted -of the bed.

alongside its respective adjusting screw. In this position in a finished casket they will be covered by the folds of the casket lining material. When the `casket is to be adjusted the operating handles for the adjusting screws are moved from the full line positions of FIGS. l and 3 to the dotted line position of FIG. 3.

All of the adjusting screws may be moved the same distance to raise and lower the casket bed as a unit Without any adjusting, folding or tilting movement. If desired, however, the head and foot sections may stand still and the center portion may be lowered or raised. This is permitted by the hinge construction adjacent the center If desired one side of the casket may be raised or lowered to accomplish tilting. Tilting is possible by moving one of the head adjusting screws in one direction and the other head adjusting screw in the other direction or, if desired, even in the opposite direction` This will tilt the head of the bed. The general ilexibility throughout theV construction Will permit substantial tilting. Also, obviously one side of the center portion may l be raised or lowered while the other remains stationary or is moved in an opposite direction. The adjustability of the bed is such that a very wide variety of possible adjusted positions can be achieved by the desired use of the Y adjusting members. It has been found particularly ariplish a variety of separate adjustments. Correspondingbed somewhat ilexed so that the central portion is below the head or the footyor both of them.

Without further describing of the possible Variations in adjustment, it is suicient to say that the bed, by reason of the adjusting means shown and by reason of the hinge construction of the side members, can be adjusted very widely to accomplish almost any desired purpose and to accommodate the casket in which it is installed to a body of almost any size and coniiguration.

I claim:

l. In combination with a burial casket, an adjustable bed rnovably` positioned therein, said bed comprising head and foot' sections, means for hinging said sections together, means for supporting said bed sections for adjustment within said casket, said last mentioned means comprising a plurality of adjusting screws, one positioned at the foot section, two positioned at the head section and one positioned adjacent each side of said bed, means for adjusting said screws independently, and means for mounting the adjusting screws adjacent the sides of the bed to provide for sidewise tilting of the bed, including a slot in each side of the bed and a pin secured to each adjusting screw, each slot having a larger area than the pins and each pin extending through a slot, and a yielding member encircling each pin.

2. In combination with a casket, a bed positioned therein, said bed. being formed of parts defining two sections, a head section and a foot section, means for pivotal- 1y joining the twosections together for relative movement, said means comprising a relatively Vloose pivotal connection, and adjusting means for adjustably holding said bed in said casket, said adjusting means including a pair of head adjusting screws adjacent the free end of said head section, means pivotally connecting said head adjusting screws to said head section on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of` said bed, a single foot adjusting screw positioned adjacent the free end ofy said foot section, means 'pivotally connecting said. toot adjusting screw to said foot section generally along the longitudinal axis of said bed, a side adjusting screw on each side of said bed adjacent said pivotal connection by the pivotal joining means, means pivotally connecting each of said side adjusting screws to a corresponding side of said bed including a pin secured to a corresponding adjusting screw, the adjacent sides of the bed having a longitudinal slot, said pins extending through said slots and permitting limited movement of said bed relative to said pins.

3. The combination of claim 2 further characterized in that said pins have stop means thereon and resilient means extending between said stop means and a corresponding side of said bed.

4. In combination with a casket, a bed positioned therein, said bed being formed of parts defining two sections, a head section and a foot section, means for pivotally joining the two sections together for relative movement, said means comprising a relatively loose pivotal connection and adjusting means for adjustably holding said bed in said casket, said adjusting means including a pair of head adjusting screws adjacent the free end of said head section, pin means carried by said head adjusting screws, slots in the free end of said head section, said pin means extending into said slots, a single foot adjusting screw adjacent the free end of said foot section, a slot in said free end of said foot section, said foot adjusting screw being provided with pin means extending into said last mentioned slot, a pair of side adjusting screws, each of said side adjusting screws being adjacent said pivotal connection of said bed sections by said pivotal joining means, pin means carried by each of said side adjusting screws, longitudinally extending slot means on said bed adjacent said pivotal connection, said last mentioned pin means extending into said slot means, the free ends of said last mentioned pin means having stops thereon, and resilient means extending between said stops and corresponding sides of said bed, said resilient means biasing said sides of said bed and said side adjusting screws together.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,151,014 Hipkoe Aug. 24, 1915 1,345,760 Frye July 6, 192()V 2,636,246 Quaka Apr. 28, 1953 2,670,517 Hillenbrand et al. Mar. 2, 1954 2,735,157 Hotchkiss et al. Feb', 21, 1956 2,839,814 Harter June 24, 1958 2,848,781 Slaughter et al Aug. 26, 1958 2,885,692 Wetzel et al. May 12, 1959 2,888,732 Nelson June 2, 1959 

